1. Field of the Invention
The present matter relates to a water craft device, system and method of construction, in particular relating to a modular system for organizing and constructing passenger boats, platforms and related fixtures.
2. Background
Watercrafts such as among many, ships and boats, are utilitarian devices constructed for specific intended purposes. The design of any particular type of watercraft is distinguishable from another depending on the affect sought to be achieved. Water crafts, in general, are fine tuned devices that must meet the variable demands of the particular type of waterway it is made to manage. Since lives and property are carried over dangerous conditions, the bar for safety is set high. As such, every detail in material and construction of a watercraft device carries an equal level of importance and relevance to the overall effectiveness and safety of said device. In this art, safety is concerned not only with the presence of necessary matter, but also with the absence of unnecessary matter to achieve ergonomic efficiency.
Because water crafts in general are directly exposed to variable forces of nature in the most unavoidable ways (unlike ground vehicles that are able to quickly pull over to shelter in lieu of a storm) each piece of material constructing the device is consciously chosen for specific reason and purpose tailored to the conditions the device is intended to withstand. Unlike other types of utility devices, water craft construction and design leaves less room for substitution of material components outside of acceptable industry standards.
The general category of watercrafts may be divided further into navigable versus non-navigable devices. Typically, navigable watercrafts comprise a hull, a bow (the forward pointed front end of a ship meant to cut through water), one or more means to steer or navigate direction of the navigable water craft such as a sail, steering wheel, paddles, etc. Navigable watercrafts may include but is not limited to a ship, a boat, a kayak, etc. Contrast this with non-navigable watercrafts, which do not contain or partially lack means for steering or navigation. These would include but is not limited to drifting rafts or stationary floating platforms. The purpose of non-navigable watercrafts is usually to achieve the given effect, which may be to drift and float freely in order to capture the experience and sensation of a moving current. Similarly, a stationary floating platform designed to maintain position offshore may seek to create an artificial offshore barrier reef, a stationary carrier platform, or an artificial island. The current art does not provide cross-over devices that serve both navigable and non-navigable purposes.
It is further observed that current art in the industry of navigable watercraft devices comprise single or double hull devices. The overall shape of the hull, whether single or multiple, must enable effective navigation. As such, multiple hull watercrafts intended for navigation and transport typically involve no more than two hulls in parallel position with pointed bows as with a traditional catamaran and catamaran style pontoons. These said crafts share in common a single navigation unit comprising a single engine unit and a single steering unit. A multiple hull device wherein the hulls are positioned in non-parallel manner (i.e. at angles from each other) would render navigation, steering and transport impractical. For this reason, there is currently not a crossover multiple hull water craft designed for both navigable and non-navigable purposes.
Modular watercraft systems are even less common in the industry. Within the category of navigable devices, the prior art discloses modular systems intended for either compactable storage or extension of length. In these cases, a single whole navigable device is constructed from separate modular components. The current art does not provide for modular connection of multiple individual watercrafts to create a larger device having cross over effect.
In the realm of watercraft devices, there remains an undiscovered area for crossover (navigable and non-navigable purpose and design) application. The ability to achieve crossover modular construction would further enable connection of not only multiple hulls but also multiple decks. The ability to modularize decks would further enable new ways to construct and design deck fixtures. The cross over effect would establish the first dual purpose watercraft device and related industries. Such application would have wide practical appeal within the industry, and especially recreational areas of watercraft and boating where greater popular use may occur.
In the area of recreational boating, popular boats such as pontoons, catamarans or sail boats are designed and purposed for navigation and transport. Naturally, when they are in anchored position, they are in a semi-stationary state but not completely so. Due to the shape and design of these devices for purpose of navigation, they tend to move and drift even when anchored and often do not interconnect with other boats without risk of damage upon contact. These boats serve recreational purposes and allow users to enter between the boat and water easily. Although users apply multiple purposes to these single purposed devices, the current art does not provide for a convertible feature that expands on the user's recreational interaction between the boat and the water. That is, the current art for navigable watercraft devices has not expanded beyond singular purposed design to a cross over design allowing navigable watercraft devices to convert or extend into non-navigable application. There is a need in the art for both cross over watercraft devices that allow users to maximally interact with the device and the environment in both navigable and non-navigable manner.
There is further a need for cross-over fixtures and furnishings that can be adaptable to the expanded and convertible application of crossover watercrafts. Few crossover watercraft fixtures and furnishings exist, specifically those serving both above and below water surface application. The crossover nature provided in this invention for navigable and non-navigable watercrafts create new areas of consideration that opens doors for redesigning traditional navigable or non-navigable furnishing to having crossover application.